Welcome to October. Cooler weather is starting to creep in, and soon it will be the norm.
Everyone should have treated their hives with mite treatments by now. Feeding has been going on and should start slowing down as it gets cooler.
I have had a few customers discovering that they suddenly have very high mite counts in their colonies. This can come from a couple of factors.
1. The colonies had high mite counts in the brood cells when they initially treated and the desired mite mortality did not occur.
2. That their colonies were involved in robbing out a colony in thier immediate area from a beekeeper that did not treat for mites. The mites hopped on the robbing bees and viola, high mite infestation.
A treatment of Oxalic Acid at the right time should be able to take down the high mite load and hopefully keep the bees healthy.
Entrance reducers should be in place now. With the cooler weather, mice will start to want to move in for the winter. Entrance reducers can be put in with the larger opening.
Winter covers and Oxalic Acid treatments are on the horizon, but still about three weeks away, unless there is a drastic weather change. Like a foot of snow.
Oxalic Acid Dribble Method
Wintering Bees in Minnesota
Bee Cozy Winter Cover